Stellaluna by Jannell Cannon: When a young bat is separated from her mother, she joins a nest of baby birds. In a beautifully illustrated book with lots of loving close-ups, Stellaluna tries to fit in but learns that she is happiest being herself. Along with her newfound friends, she also discovers that sometimes friends can be very different in some ways but alike in the ways that count. This book is my favorite book about bats, and my daughter loved it, even at age four, but I do find it gets a little long for most children under 5. Also, to set up another point of contrast, Cannon makes Stellaluna a fruit bat who does not like the bug feast the mama bird brings back for her babies. This may be confusing for young children who are learning that most bats eat bugs.

Bats at the Beach by Brian Lies: A community of bats heads to the beach for moontans and bugmallows. The illustrations manage to be cute and naturalistic at the same time–no easy feat when your subject is bats. A few facts about bats are interwoven with the storyline but I wish there were more included. Still, this is a faster-paced, shorter, more lively read than Stellaluna, making it my pick for the under 5 crowd.

Baby Bat’s Lullaby by Jacquelyn Mitchard: A mama bat soothes her baby to sleep in much the same way that human mothers guide their own children to slumber–except the baby must sleep now that the sun is rising. This simple twist delights my children, as does the gentle depiction of motherly love. And the glee the baby bat takes in his burgeoning abilities makes me smile, too. The text is rhythmic, rhyming poetry–a sweet, lyrical introduction to bats.

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About the Author

Candace Lindemann is a published children’s writer and educational consultant. She holds a B.A. from Yale University and an M.Ed. from the Harvard Graduate School of Education.

Working with school districts around the country and some of the most well-known companies in the education industry, Candace creates custom strategies, textbooks, and lesson plans. Her articles have appeared in print and online.

While Candace’s degrees prepared her for a career in education, she’s found that the best preparation for parenting is on the job training.